NCAA Preview 2013: Villanova

Inside Lacrosse is kicking off the season by previewing the top 40 teams. Here's Five Things to Know About Villanova, which received votes in the preseason Nike/IL Media Poll and was ranked No. 23 in the 2013 Face-Off Yearbook.

It was certainly an interesting year at Villanova in 2012.

The Wildcats started by dominating Lehigh, a team that would go on to win nine-straight games. Villanova would spend the next few weeks clawing out an overtime win against Bucknell, being upset by Delaware and edging Penn in the most dramatic finish of the season.

An 11-10 win against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome highlighted how big of a threat Villanova could be, but a regular season-ending loss to Providence showed the season was a mixed bag — and that injuries took their toll on a battered team.

The Wildcats finished 8-7 (4-2 in the Big East), and were caught on the outside of the NCAA Tournament. Villanova was ranked as high as No. 9/8 in the polls and ended the year outside the Top 25.

Coach Mike Corrado's squad boasts an all-senior attack and a talented freshman group that increases depth.

Doherty a versatile threat

Much of the talk in the fall and offseason was centered around the graduation of unique attack threat Kevin Cunningham. And it was not only Cunningham, but also the team's offensive core and a group of character athletes at Villanova.

Seniors Jack Rice, Will Casertano and Nick Doherty will lead the attack, and they have developed a chemistry in their years as teammates.

For Doherty (10G, 4A), it's a chance for him to make some noise at his natural position. Doherty was an All-American at attack at Delbarton (N.J.) and played attack for the Wildcats his freshman season. His versatility has allowed coach Corrado to move him around the field at offensive and defensive midfield. Doherty also missed three games to injury last season.

“Nick's versatility allowed us to move him around from game to game,” Corrado said. Doherty could add a more aggressive look to the offense and attack the goal more than Cunningham.

“With Kevin [Cunningham] leaving we felt we needed an attackman who gave us that speed factor,” Corrado said.

Rice has been picked as a preseason All-Big East selection and a 2013 Face-Off Yearbook Honorable Mention All-American. Rice plays on the crease and could become Villanova's all-time goal scorer this season; he's 37 goals away. He's also played in all 46 games of his career, an impressive feat.

Against Loyola in the fall, the Greyhounds shut off Rice in the crease, and that opened up the Wildcats' midfield for some time-and-room shots.

Casertano — who also has appeared in all 46 games of his career — has balanced numbers. He's notched 48 goals and 48 assists in his career.

Junior class stepping up

Villanova has been a veteran team the past couple of years, so its junior class has not yet had to step up — until now.

“When they were freshmen, we didn't need them to play,” Corrado said. But now that they're called upon, this class is ready. “They took a big jump from the beginning of their sophomore year to the beginning of their junior year. We feel very comfortable with them.”

On the defensive side of the ball, they'll be needed. While Villanova was 21st in goals per game (10.4), they were in the back half of DI in defense, allowing a 10.67 GAA (41st).

Chris Conroy (13GB, 9 CT in 15 games played) and Chris Piccirilli (22GB, 8CT in 15 games played, 0 started) will see lots of time down low. They'll be joined by classmate and top-tier LSM John LoCascio, who has picked up numerous preseason accolades. He was most recently named to the All-Big East preseason team.

Short-stick d-middie Mark Jackson might have the most meaningful minutes of his class.

Hunter Broome (3GB, 1CT in 8 games; 13 career games) and Tyler Brennan (3 games played) are the seniors on the backline for a team that will lean heavily on that junior class.

The mix on midfielder

If there's one thing Corrado needs to discern in upcoming scrimmages, it's finding the right mix for his midfield lines. The Wildcats scrimmage Lehigh on Feb. 2 and Sacred Heart on Feb. 9.

“The question mark is figuring out midfield lines. There's probably eight or nine guys. Who's going to be in that first line?," Corrado said. "The (scrimmages) will give us the opportunity to see how they mix. Is it the three best players together, or who plays best together?"

The midfield has graduated the No. 4 and 5 scorers, C.J. Small and Matt Bell. Kevin O'Neil (12, 11) and Max Hart (14, 4) return as the biggest scoring threats, and they'll benefit from attention paid to Rice.

A pair of freshmen stood out in the fall that could see minutes at attack or midfield. Jack Curran (Rumson-Fair Haven, N.J.) is listed as a midfielder, but Corrado said he could potentially play both there and at attack. The biggest freshman standout in fall could be Tim Mulrenan (Seton Hill Prep, N.J.), a versatile player who could see time at both positions early in the season. He's listed at attack on the roster.

“Both of those guys will have opportunities to play a bunch for us this year,” the coach said.

One point of emphasis that Corrado noted after the team's fallball scrimmage vs. Loyola: Shooting needs to improve, including making better use of good looks.

Goalie and injury concerns

Greg Stamatov, a freshman, very well could take the starting goaltender job. He's the No. 10 incoming goalie, according to Inside Lacrosse's rankings. He hails from Foxborough, Mass.

Dan Gutierrez started all 15 games last season and had a save-percentage under .500. Senior Peter Metcalf and senior Billy Hurley saw limited time last season. Hurley certainly has the most game experience though, as he started 26 games in his career before Gutierrez took the starting role.

Sophomore Reed Carlson is also on the roster but saw limited time through the fall with an illness.

The injury bug hit the Wildcats in the fall, but it was a blessing in disguise as it gave some guys key minutes. John Kluh (St. Mary's, Md.), a freshman, missed most of the fall but has an opportunity to see time this year now that he's 100% healthy.

Thomas Croonquist, recently picked to the All-Big East preseason team, was recovering from shoulder surgery in the fall. He's back at 100%, according to Corrado.

“One good thing when you have those kind of injuries is you're playing games that don't count, and you're able to give other guys a lot of opportunity to get game experience against very good teams,” Corrado said.

Villanova graduated Nolan Vihlen, who split time with Croonquist last season, so face-off depth was a concern coming into this season. Michael Tsiang, a sophomore from Summit, N.J., was able to get a lot of reps this fall with Croonquist out. Croonquist's younger brother, Brent, a 6-3 freshman, also got more reps this fall.

New rules

Corrado and his squad watched the NCAA rules video as a team, and it was a good exercise for the Wildcats, as the coaching staff learned a few scenarios it hadn't thought of.

But Corrado's squad — known for having quick players — shouldn't be affected adversely by the new rules. In three fall scrimmages, the offense was put on the 30-second countdown each time, but that doesn't worry Corrado.

“If you get that 30-second call, it's still a pretty good amount of time to run your offense and get a good opportunity,” he said. “We intend to play the same way we did in the past.”

One question mark will be consistency of calls — the Loyola scrimmage saw the stall warning put on quicker than others. Corrado's concern will be with substitutions. As a team that subs out traditional d-middies and poles for offensive players, the question is whether the refs will view that substitution as not attacking the goal.

“From the way we play, hopefully it won't affect us that much.”

Best Bet: John LoCascio, LSM

LoCascio has emerged as an impact player in his 31 career games at Villanova. He's a career captain and scooped up 65 groundballs in 2012.

“He's aggressive; he's tenacious,” Corrado said. “He plays with a lot of heart and passion out there. He's playing 1,000 miles an hour. He's the kind of kid who makes plays. He's great off the ground. He's outstanding picking up groundballs.”

Sleeper Pick: Remy Pope, SSDM

Short-stick defensive midfielders often don't get the attention they deserve, but Remington Pope's impact has been felt at that position, and he's drawn high praise from Corrado. He switched from a pole to short-stick, and Corrado is planning on starting him there. But his impact is felt in his versatility - he can be switched back to a longpole if Corrado sees more value in him there.